Blog

Today two of my kids are in camp. Most of the summer I let them hang out and we go to the zoo, library, etc. but I finally broke down and did a camp. I really needed it and I think they did too. Here is the funny thing- now they are there and I cannot figure out how to spend this last hour before I pick them up. My youngest, by some miracle of God, is still sleeping.

This morning I got up very early and drove with my neighbors and all our kids to watch our husbands participate in Nashville's first Muddy Buddy race. The race is a combination of running and biking for seven miles with a partner and when you finish you and your "muddy buddy" have to crawl through a pit of mud to reach the finish line. We got there just in time to see Andy and Gabe finish in all their glory. I was cheering like a maniac.

We spent my kids' spring break in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, one of my favorite places in the world. We had an amazing time and it was so wonderful to spend time with my extended family. It almost made the 12 hour drive worth it! (Many thanks to The Wiggles and the Star Wars Clone Wars movie for brief moments of sanity).

I have recently taken up running and this has led to a new season of music listening in my life. Thanks to my trusty new ipod I get to listen to music for 30-45 minutes every morning I run. This is the kind of music listening that absorbs you, not the kind that is in the background while kids are running around and begging for snacks. I may think I like a song, but I am completely in LOVE with that song when the first note reaches my ears and it gives me the energy to make that last curve on Battlefield Drive.

Hey friends, sorry for the delay in writing. Andy and I have been traveling a good bit this month and we have so enjoyed the shows and new people we met. Wisconsin last weekend was cold and snowy and made me remember that it is indeed still winter, things have been warming up a bit in Nashville. We played at a church in Plover with many people of Polish descent and we got to try Ponczkas (I am not sure if I am spelling it right) which are these amazing doughnuts filled with fruit or cream. It is sad that I remember the food so well everywhere we go:) St.

February is a birthday month around our house. My oldest son and I have birthdays close together with Valentine's Day in the middle. Add these events to the arrival of all the Girl Scout cookies we ordered and you have a recipe for Sugar Central. I was doing my part by making this cake for my son who is really into Star Wars Clone Wars. I hope that one day he realizes how much I love him by all the ridiculous names I have had to learn. Asajj Ventress, Count Dooku, Ahsoka Tano, what in the world? You know George Lucas' employees are dying laughing as they make up this stuff.

This is a picture of me and two of my kids before the race this Saturday. I told them to look tough, I think Drew was trying to look comatose. It was a freezing cold day in Nashville but the race was even more fun than I thought it would be. I think a zoo 5K is a perfect way to start because you are surrounded by people dressed as animals and small children which keeps you from being too intimidated. There was a lobster man. I am kicking myself for not taking a picture with him. Andy and the kids all braved the cold to cheer me on which was no small task.

Well, Nashville has been frigid lately. I realize to those of you who live in REAL cold climates I am offending you right now. I am not used to this kind of cold, however. And I am definitely not used to running in this kind of cold. I was tired of being stuck inside and knowing the 5K is this Saturday I decided to run my three miles yesterday in 15 degree weather. Not a smart decision. I was feeling fine until I got back to my driveway and proceeded to come inside and lay down on the kitchen floor for five minutes. I think I literally saw The Big Dipper on the inside of my eyelids.

Since I mentioned the rabbit room earlier I thought I would post a short piece I wrote for them several months ago. I was razzing (is that a word?) Andrew Peterson that he needed more female writers on the site and he looked at me and said, "Well, why don't you write something?" That wasn't what I was getting as I was giving him a hard time, but I realized that maybe I should. This story had been resonating with me and it was very therapeutic to write it down and get it out. Feel free to share your own stories about lost loved ones here as well. http://www.rabbitroom.com/?p=1155#more-1155

Jason Gray just posted a really nice review of The Good Things in the rabbit room. http://www.rabbitroom.com/?p=1259 If you haven't checked out Andrew Peterson's online forum now is the time. Not only have they posted this nice review, different writers discuss a wide variety of topics concerning faith and culture. Feel free to comment here or there and give us your feedback on the new record. Unless you hate EVERYTHING about it and then you can just keep the feedback to yourself:)